Miniature bowling alley table



July 9, l1940.

A. UHR

MINIATURE BOWLING ALLEY TABLES lFiled June 2e, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 July 9, 1940. A UHR MINIATURE BOWLING ALLE Y TABLES Filed June 26, 1959 y 2 sheets-sheet 2 U/U/u: INVENTOR 23 l Q6 e ,cea ATTORNEYS Patented July 9, 1940 l, UNITED 'f STATES PATENT OFFICE azo'usts"` MINIATURE BOWLING ALLEY TABLE August Uhr, Cibolo, Tex.

Application June 26, 1939, Serial No. 281,236

2v Claims.

The invention relates to a game apparatus and moreespecially to a miniature bowling alley table. Thev primary object ofthe invention is the provision of a table of this character wherein its build has therein severalr bowling alleys, the pins therefor being automatically set up and the balls for the striking of said pins being adapted to travel over an area so that these balls by m chance'will operate a scoringv device and in this manner players participate in several games, namely,y in the playingof a vbowling game and a chance game. t'

Another object vof the invention is the provision of a tableofj'this character wherein the bowling pins are controlled for the automatic setting up thereof ina novel manner and the balls for the striking of the pins will be caused to travel vover a game area, so that these balls will effect a scoring for the participants in the playing of the bowling game, the table in its entirety'being of novel construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a table of this character wherein through the use'of bowling pins andv balls several games can be played 'at one and the same time and in this way lending amusement and entertainment to the players in use of such table.

A vfurther object of the 'invention is the pro- 3Q vision of a table of this character which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and effi# cient in operation, enabling dual games to ber played thereon, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture. y

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, ycombination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully,7 described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which dis- 40 close the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a table constructed in accordance with the inven- 45 tion.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View showing in detail the chance game area of the table.

' Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal Figure 7 is a detail elevation of the counting device employed with the table.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional View through the ball receiving end of the table.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view of the setting discv for the pins employed with the table.

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the-several views in the drawings. Referring to the drawings indetail, A designates generally the table constituting the present invention and comprises va body formed with spaced parallel bowling alleys I!! and II respectively, these being identical to each other and are superposed with relation to a ball return trough I2 located intermediate of and coextensive vwith the major extent of the said alleysy I0 and II. The body yformed asbefore stated is supported upon legsl or uprights I3 while said alleys are provided with open ends I4 and opposite closed ends I5, respectively, the latter being in the form of wells I6 for the. trapping of balls II when thrown or put in motion from the Open ends I4 of said alleys.`

These balls are imitative of billiard balls and the same are played by the use of cues, not shown, used for the'playingof billiards and such cues are used by the players for the sending of the balls in the alleys I 0 and II for the playing of the bowling game. The wells It have formed therein lateral inwardly inclined shelves I 8 Vso that the balls I'I when reaching 'the said wellsy from the alleys I0 and II will gravitate upon the shelves I8 and discharge upon an incline I9 leading to the chute I2, whence these balls will travel to a retrieving box located at the open ends of the alleys I0 and II but intermediate with respect thereto. The chute I2 is preferably of hopper formation and has built therein a l step or dropping area 2| so that one portion of the chute will be ata higher plane than the usf remaining portion yet the said chute inclines'in the playing of a bowling game. Each pin 24 has connected to a base 25 therefor a setting chain 26 connected to a setting disc 21 provided with a central coupling stud 28 connected with a bell crank lever 29 pivoted at 33 for vertical swing in a xed bearing 3l in the frame of the table A. At the open end of each alley I0 and II is an operating lever 32 having pull rod connection 33 with the bell crank lever 29 and when the pins 24 have been knocked down on operating the lever 32 these pins can be set upautomatically at the station 22. Each bell crank lever 29 has connected thereto a coiled tension. e ing spring 34 which is fixed in the frame `of the table A and the purpose of each spring isto slacken the chains 26 when the pins 24 have been brought to set up position at the stations 22 and thus will not hinder theknocking downy y of the pins on the striking of a ball I1 thereon when put in play in the alleys I and I I.

The alleys IU and II at the longer opposite sides thereof are provided with the usual gutters 35v leading to the wells I6 and these gutters convey the balls to the latter when they run off of thev playing surface of said alleys.

' In the step area 2E of the chute I2 is a peg playingeld 36 which has delivery openings 31 therein for the dropping of the balls I1 therethrough o-n to a treadle 38 hinged at 39 and spring tensioned at 40. This treadle has operating connection 4I with a scoring or indicator device 42 bracketed at 43. The pegs 44 are distributed on the field 36 so as to make it difficult for a ball I1 traveling over this eld toy have entrance through a hole 31 for the loperation of the treaclle 38. If the ball fails to drop through a hole 31 it gravitates over the eld 36 and through the chute I2 to the retrieving box 20. A ball I1 when making a holeI 31 and by its dropping upon the treadle 38, the device 42 is actuated foi exhibiting `a scoring point or indicia as at 45 in favor of the participant playing the said ball which is primarily used in an alley I8 or II for bowling purposes in knocking down a pin'or pins 24 set up at a station 22 within such alley.

The device 42 includes a ratchet feeder 46 cooperating with ratchet teeth 41 on a rotating dial 48 carrying the indicia 45, the latter being visible through a sight opening 49 built in said device 42.

The pegs 44 in the playing field 36 are so positioned to effect hazards for the prevention of a ball I1 in its travel going directly to the holes 31 in said eld 36 and in this Way making it dicult for the ball to drop through such holes when traveling through the chute I2 in nd'ing its way to the vretrieving box 20. This box 20 is built with a hinge door 50 enabling the balls contained therein to be removed therefrom yet resisting the accidental rolling of the balls from the said box.

The playing eld 26 which is actually the step in the area 2I has a descending lip 5I which directs the balls from the elevated portion of the chute to the lowermost portion thereof after i game and the one acquiring the highest number is the winner of the participants therein, or the e users of the table.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of the kind described com-` prising a supporting frame, an elongated ball rolling alley built in said frame and having opposite open and closed ends, a well at the closed below the plane of the alley and at one 'side thereof and having communication with the said well, the shelf at two edges only at right angles to each other being removed'with respect to walls adjacent thereto of the well for effecting openings at right angles to each other between the well and the said chute, and a retrieving box communicating with the chute and located next to the open end of said alley.

2. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a supporting frame, an elongated ball rolling alley built in said frame and having op# posite open and closed ends, a well at the closed end of said alley, gutters parallel Wtih and at opposite sides of the alley for opening into the well, a laterally and longitudinally inclined shelf Within said well, an inclined ball return chute below the plane of the alley and at one side thereof and having communication with the said well, the shelf at two edges only at right angles to each other being removed with respect to walls adjacent thereto of the well for eifecting open-ly ings at right angles to each other between the Well and the said chute, a retrieving box come municating with the chute and located next t0 the open end of said alley, and a door at thev outermost side of said box, free for inward open ing movement and latched against outward open`` ing movement. f

' AUGUST UHR. 

